


Stomach Flu

by Sharcade



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Crying, Fever, Hurt/Comfort, One Shot, Short, Short One Shot, Sick Character, Sickfic, Stomach Ache, Vomiting, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-26
Updated: 2020-08-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:41:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26115115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sharcade/pseuds/Sharcade
Summary: Max wakes up in the middle of the night feeling like complete and utter shit.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 102





	Stomach Flu

The first thing Max felt was a searing pain in his abdomen.

That was enough to wake him up, his brow furrowing as he brought his knees up to his chest - what the hell was going on? He struggled to clear the fog from his head, piecing together his situation as the layer of sleep left his thoughts - he had been feeling a little nauseous at dinner, so he hadn't had that much to eat before heading back to bed. Maybe he was just hungry? Maybe he should go find something to eat? Another strong cramp from his stomach told him that this was, in fact, not the case. He let out a small grunt, balling up the middle of his shirt in a sweaty palm as he struggled to fight against the waves of pain. He could barely even process them, sleep still blurring his thoughts together.

There wasn't any time left to make sense of the situation - Max paled as his stomach suddenly lurched, his throat burning with acid that was begging to come up. The boy quickly sat up, forcing the fluid back down with a sweaty, trembling hand clamped over his mouth for safety. _Shit._ His eyes darted over to Neil, the other camper still sleeping soundly in his bed. He hadn't woken up - thank God, because Max would rather die than have his friends see the pale trembling wreck he was currently appearing as. Max kept a clammy fist over his mouth, the other balled up in his damp shirt as he quickly got out of bed and left the tent. He didn't dare to rush or jostle his stomach any more than he had to at risk of it completely upending all over his chest and the dirt below. He shuddered at the image, continuing to the bathrooms as briskly as possible as the pressure in his stomach continued to build. Each surge of pain sent his tiny fingers curling tighter into the bright yellow fabric. _Fuck, fuck, fuck fuck fuck._ _Hurry._

Max's pace quickened as he continued towards the bathrooms, his hands growing shakier as nervous tears began pricking at the corners of his eyes. Fuck, _fuck,_ he was definitely going to puke, _he needed to get to the bathroom._ It didn't take much time for Max to completely throw caution to the wind as his speed walking broke to a full sprint. He kicked the bathroom door open hastily, only just managing to scramble into a stall before his gut upheaved violently through his fingers. The cramp that came with it was searing and tight, Max's throat burning as he quickly wrenched his hand away from his mouth and continued sputtering up the remnants of his few bites of dinner. His stomach lurched again with another wave of vomit, and God dammit - God _dammit_ \- it _hurt,_ it was _painful_ and-

And before Max knew it, the tears that had threatened him minutes prior were rolling down his face.

He let out a whine, an arm wrapped desperately around his waist as he continued voiding his stomach so hard he thought he might just up and shit himself or something. God, wouldn't that be the fucking cherry on top of this garbage pile. He hiccupped, his stomach rolling as it threatened to turn again, where the hell had this come from? Sure he hadn't felt great during dinner, but this was so sudden and so _painful_ that he didn't even know how to handle it. He was shaking - fuck, why was he shaking? Why was he so cold?

"Max?"

_Shit. God dammit._

Max didn't have to turn around to know who was standing in the doorway. Neil's somewhat shrill voice was upsetting him in more ways than one - his head was throbbing, and more than that, he was _humiliated._ Neil was a friend he trusted, sure, but it didn't matter how close they were. Max didn't want to be seen like this. Max didn't want to be seen as some vulnerable kid, not in front of Neil, not in front of anyone, _not ever._

"I-I'm fine," he choked out, his stomach lurching threateningly. "Fuck off."

Max could practically feel Neil's concerned gaze boring into him.

"...Max, I'm gonna go get David, okay?"

"Dammit, don't!"

"But you're sick!"

"I'm fine!"

"Max..."

Without any further warning, Max's stomach cramped up again, another wave of vomit forcing him to double over in a coughing, sputtering mess. He gasped for air, his free hand - still regrettably slick with vomit in a way Max would never recount to anyone who might ask - gripping the toilet seat. Gross. With the rest of the bile came a sob, Max no longer willing to put in the effort required to hide the amount of pain he was in.

"I-I'm going to get David, okay? Just- Just wait here."

Max didn't protest, his mind hazy and his vision blurring from the sheer pain radiating from his stomach. What the hell was happening to him? He was beginning to wonder whether the puking was a result of his sickness or just a result of the disgusting atmosphere - a dingy toilet bowl filled with his vomit in a disgusting public bathroom. Eugh. His stomach growled, clueing Max in to the fact that thinking about the environment too hard probably wasn't going to do much to help his nausea.

"Oh- Max..."

_David._

"David," Max sputtered weakly through gasps of air.

On any other night, Max wouldn't let himself be nearly this vulnerable in front of the counsellor. This was not any other night, and _he was in pain._ It didn't take long for Max to find the counsellor at his side, gently rubbing his back as Max remained hunched over the toilet bowl. David's touch was _stupidly_ comforting, and Max almost wanted to shrug it away, but another wave of gagging took his attention fairly quickly. David's hand didn't waver from Max's tremoring back, the counsellor continuing to gently offer his comforts.

"It's okay. Just let it out."

Max didn't need to be told twice.

* * *

"This is so stupid."

"Yeah, well, too bad. You're gonna get coddled and you're gonna like it, you little shit."

"Bite me."

Though both of their tones were icy, there was no real hostility to Max and Gwen's bickering. She proved this easily enough with the fact that while Max was bundled up in blankets on David's bed, she was bustling around the counsellor's cabin getting him water and gathering up his clothes for washing. David had been quick to insist that Max come back to the cabin with him, much to Max's chagrin. Despite his feeble protesting, he had followed along compliantly, putting up no fight through his exhaustion as David gently coaxed him into new clothes and a more suitable bed. David's attitude was one Max was slowly becoming more familiar with - before he had seen it as nothing more than mockery, some sort of fatherly charade meant to really drive it in that Max didn't have parents who cared about him. Did this sick bastard think it was funny? He liked watching Max squirm awkwardly at the fatherly affection he wasn't used to receiving, was that it?

No. No it was not.

As the summers ticked on, it became more and more apparent that this moron really was genuine. He wasn't trying to rub in Max's shitty past, he was trying to make up for it - _stupid,_ Max thought at the time, but he had to admit that being wrapped in warm sheets and comfortable pyjamas was feeling a hell of a lot better than kneeling on the grimy bathroom tile puking his guts up. Stupid comfy pyjamas. Stupid stomach. Stupid David.

"I-I have to go to the bathroom," Max practically slurred, sitting up and rubbing his eyes as David quietly re-entered the cabin.

The counsellor looked over at him, offering a small smile - _stupidly comforting,_ Max reiterated in his head - and walking over to help Max up.

"We've got one in the cabin, c'mon."

Stupid comforting David. 

He reluctantly took his hand.

**Author's Note:**

> Come visit me on Tumblr!
> 
> sharcade-involved.tumblr.com


End file.
